ProHealth Hosts Dance Workshop to Help Dancers Train Smarter, Prevent Injury

For dancers, the demands of training often begin before kindergarten and can stretch into adulthood. But while choreography, technique classes, and rehearsals are scheduled with precision, one element is often overlooked: how dancers care for their bodies. That’s the focus of an upcoming workshop at ProHealth, where two clinicians with deep dance backgrounds will teach strategies for injury prevention, longevity, and recovery.

Blending Dance Experience with Clinical Expertise

Physical therapists Erika Leeds, PT, DPT, NCPT and Rebekah Pearson, PT, DPT know the pressures dancers face because they’ve lived them. Both began dancing around age three, eventually pursuing pre-professional and collegiate training before moving into physical therapy.

Leeds earned her undergraduate degree in dance, performed with Atlanta-based Staib Dance, and taught Pilates before becoming a PT. Pearson trained in classical ballet, jazz, tap, and modern dance while also competing internationally in Irish dance.

With those combined perspectives, they hope to help dancers avoid the injuries they once faced on their own.

“We would love to empower and provide these dancers with that information before an injury happens,” Leeds said. “Injury does not have to be the only reason you come and start addressing your body and your movement.”

Who the Workshop Is For

The audience includes dancers, dance instructors, parents of dancers, and dance enthusiasts. “Anyone that just has a connection to dance… wanting to learn more about how to take care of their body,” Leeds explained.

Because injuries are common across all ages and styles, Pearson adds that dancers as young as elementary school and as old as adult hobbyists can benefit—though younger dancers may need a parent present to help them apply what they learn.

Inside the Workshop: Warm-Ups, Recovery, and Resilience

The session will run about an hour and cover strategies dancers can begin using immediately.

One major focus: rethinking the traditional warm-up.

“A lot of dancers spend a lot of time stretching,” Pearson said. But research shows rigorous static stretching before class can reduce power output and even increase injury risk for hypermobile dancers. “We’re going to lead them through what’s called the RAMP model… a framework to help structure a warm-up that works on mobility, muscle activation, getting the body warm, and then building into more sport-specific movements.”

They will also discuss cooling down—something many dancers skip once class ends and life resumes.

“Often you’re finishing dance class and then you’re rushing home and you’re doing homework,” Leeds said. “Recovery gets lost a little bit… and recovery is the holistic idea” that includes hydration, sleep, nutrition, and proper cool-down work.

Prevention, But Also a Plan for When Injury Happens

While part of the workshop focuses on avoiding injuries, Leeds and Pearson say dancers also need to know how to respond when injury inevitably occurs.

They’ll explain the differences between acute, subacute, and chronic injuries, and outline evidence-based models for addressing each stage. Pearson noted that dancers often continue compensating after a minor injury, setting the stage for more significant issues down the line.

Connecting Dancers with ProHealth’s Clinicians

Beyond teaching, both clinicians hope the workshop introduces dancers to reliable local resources.

The hour-long session is designed to give “a point of contact for the dancers… to let them know that we exist in this area and that ProHealth has such an amazing staff,” Pearson said.

Leeds added that dance teachers and parents also play a critical role: “We want to make sure that the other individuals involved in the dancer’s wellness… know where to go [and] where to find information if an injury happens.”

Event Details

Dance Health & Injury Prevention Workshop

Presented by: Erika Leeds, PT, DPT, NCPT, and Rebekah Pearson, PT, DPT

Date: Thursday, January 29

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio

Space is limited. Early registration is encouraged.

Next Steps

To reserve a spot in the workshop or schedule a dancer-focused PT or Pilates session, contact ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio in Peachtree City at (770) 487-1931 or visit prohealthga.com.